McKenna on facing Arsenal after Christmas

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Ipswich boss Kiernan McKenna on facing Arsenal after Christmas  27/12/2024  Emirates Stadium, London, UK

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00:00There's maybe an element of truth in that. We knew tonight we needed to be solid and

00:08resilient in the game and we wanted to give ourselves a chance to stay in the game by

00:12being defensively really resilient in the first half and give ourselves a chance to

00:16attack it more in the second half.

00:18So from a defensive point of view, a lot of the first half was good. We didn't give up

00:22many chances. We ended up deeper than what we wanted to be and we weren't able to get

00:27enough territory and a foothold in the first 20 minutes. We can defend the goal better

00:33in terms of we didn't have much six-yard box defending to do in the first half, so

00:38that was the disappointment.

00:40But from where the game was at that point, the way that we stabilised until half-time

00:44and then the way that we turned, not quite turning the screw, but we managed to dial

00:49it up a little bit in the second half in terms of being more aggressive without the ball,

00:53being braver with the ball and we got the game to a really healthy position to where

00:59in the 93rd minute we're in great areas and we've got fresh players on the pitch and we're

01:03pushing for an equaliser.

01:04So I think between that first goal and the end of the game, there was an awful lot of

01:08good work done to keep the game competitive and give ourselves a chance to get something.

01:13Kieran, on the game itself, in terms of being braver on the ball, you have some really tough

01:20games coming up, Chelsea as well, the next one City-Liverpool, so were there some really

01:27positive times that you can take into those games against a tough opposition?

01:34I think definitely in the second half, Arsenal are on a very, very good side without the

01:38ball, both when they're pressing and when they're defending deep. In the second half

01:43we managed to play through the pressure and cut through the middle of the pitch a few

01:46times which you don't see very often against Arsenal, so we got to really good positions

01:51there. In their half we managed to get some really good situations as well where we got

01:56between the lines and we got wingers in 1v1 situations and we weren't able to find the

02:01quality that we needed to create a big chance but I think how we went about it and how we

02:05managed to play through them at times and worked the ball well in their half in a very

02:09difficult stadium and team to do it against, I think there's positives from that.

02:13Can you explain tactically how different a prospect it is facing a team like Arsenal

02:27when they've got someone like Martinelli at right to play on the right wing, compared

02:31to Saka who's provided by a different threat being a left footer?

02:35Yeah, I think it is different. Having a left footer on the right side opens up a lot of

02:42different angles when you come inside the pitch, opens up the in-swinging crosses and

02:46different passes into the box. They still have that threat, Arsenal to be honest, with

02:49Odegaard so it's not like they have two right footers on the side. They still have Odegaard

02:53who drops to the touchline a lot so they still have that in-swinging cross threat, that reverse

02:57pass threat from the right-hand side. Martinelli's obviously a more linear runner in that position

03:04and Saka has maybe the versatility to deal with both, so both very good players and I

03:09thought Leaf in particular has done a good job against Martinelli tonight.

03:12Would you have set up differently if Saka hadn't been injured?

03:18No.

03:21Alex?

03:23Kieran, you spoke about the latter stages, getting into the right areas. Did you feel

03:28like there were times when you were just wanting the team to take a shot because it felt like

03:32you were getting there, potentially just passing round the edge of the box and there was that

03:36need to potentially try and get a scorekeeper?

03:39Yeah, I think we missed some moments in the second half, not necessarily just a shot might

03:44be a cross but I think we missed some moments to really take the initiative and to go and

03:51try and do an impactful action to win the game. Now Arsenal have got some of the best

03:57defenders in the world and a very, very good team defending in the low block and we did

04:01some good things but there were a few situations where I think we can be a little bit more

04:05decisive to go and try and make the moment.

04:08The broad head of the good player in those moments, he's had a few cameos, was it lively,

04:12just another one where you were really impressed?

04:14Yeah, he did. Full credit to him. It's obviously been a bit of a slow burner for him coming

04:19into the season with a big injury in pre-season but he's getting more regular minutes at the

04:25moment. Every time he comes off the bench he's pretty much every time having a positive

04:29impact. It's still another step to start a game and the intensity of what there is at

04:34the start of a game but he's working towards that and I think every time he's coming on

04:39in different game states he's having a good impact at the moment.

04:42Calvin as well has come in and filled the gap with Sam Morsey not in the team, hasn't

04:47played that many regular minutes recently but popped up pretty sharp when he was there.

04:51Yeah, I thought he was a positive tonight. I thought all the boys who came in the team

04:54were to be fair. You had Jacob Greaves, Luke Wolfenden not playing a good amount of time,

04:58Calvin Phillips, Ben hasn't played a lot of minutes lately and I think there's always

05:03a good testament to the grouping of players who haven't played, who come in and look fit

05:06and are attuned with the squad and with the team. So I thought they all acquitted themselves

05:12as well, the players who came in the team.

05:24Yeah, but a great game. Look, it's these tough tests we can't, you know, let's get it right.

05:29Coming to the Emirates Stadium to play against Arsenal on Christmas is a positive.

05:33It's not something to fear, it's not something to feel hesitant about or to, you know,

05:41anything of it and feel excited about and Chelsea at home is the same.

05:44We know they're top side, having a very good season but it's the challenges that we want.

05:49So, last home game of 2024, let's go and give it everything we've got.

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